


At Least, We're Together

by gurajiorasu



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: Afterlife, Light Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-20
Updated: 2014-12-20
Packaged: 2018-03-02 11:31:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2810594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gurajiorasu/pseuds/gurajiorasu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nino was on the other side. Alone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	At Least, We're Together

Ohno opened his eyes and it’s all white. His shirt, his shoes, his surroundings; everything was white. It’s so bright that for a while he couldn’t think of anything but how blinding it was.

Ohno squinted his eyes and he looked around. He didn’t know where he was, it was strangely quiet and bright. Not so far from where he was standing, people who was wearing the same attire as him was queuing. There was a big gate in front of the queue. Ohno decided that the situation was like in an airport.

Ohno pondered. He didn’t remember how in hell he could end up there. All he remembered was that he was with his band-mates, in the band’s van, heading back to Tokyo. He remembered seeing the sea. They were tired but they were as lively as always. Ohno recalled that they sang old songs and played shiritori, then he recalled the manager was saying that he was sleepy, then-

_Oh._

It all made sense to Ohno once he remembered what happened. He looked around once again, searching for figures that he knew too well, with hope that he would see none.

Ohno formed a little smile when he didn’t find any of his band-mates. He felt light and exceptionally serene.

 _At least they’re safe_ , he thought to himself while walking towards the queue, _and together_.

But, when he was about to reach the queue, there was light emitted from behind him and he turned to see it. A disoriented Sakurai Sho had appeared from thin air.

“Sho kun,” Ohno called Sho softly.

“Riida,” shock was painted clearly on Sho’s face, “Riida, you’re-”

“And you are too, apparently,” Ohno cut Sho’s words. Their voices sounded so loud yet so private there, like they were talking through telepathy.

“I-,” Sho tried to digest everything. Then, he clasped his hands on his face, “Oh, God.”

“The others?”

“I don’t know, it was so fast. I saw you. I saw fire. I remembered Aiba was pulling MatsuJun out and-”

“Nino?”

“I didn’t see him. But I heard him calling out for you,” Sho said. After a while, he looked up to Ohno with a lost look, “What do we do now?”

Ohno just smiled bitterly because he knew they couldn’t do anything. He took Sho by the hand and pulled him towards the queue.  
“At least they’re safe,” he said, “and together.”

Sho was silent for a moment, then he nodded - a bit relaxed, “Yeah. Aiba chan can take care of them.”

“Uhn.”

But it seemed that universe hadn’t stopped messing with them just yet. Another blinding light came and both Ohno’s and Sho’s body tensed up.

Silently, egoistically, even though he knew it was wrong, Ohno hoped it wasn’t Nino.

“Jun!” Sho gasped and he ran.

“S- Sho kun?” Jun’s eyes were wet and widened, “Riida?! You’re- Am I-”

Sho reached for Jun’s trembled body. He took Jun in his embrace and pat him softly, “It’s alright, it’s alright. We’re together, it’s okay.”

“Nino?” Ohno asked, “Aiba?”

“I was dragged by Masaki, then- then we heard explosion. Then, Masaki ran for you, Sho kun,” Jun recalled, “I heard Nino screamed for Masaki, then- then I’m here.”

Ohno nodded. Running Aiba meant he’s well enough. Screaming Nino meant he’s well enough, too. Aiba would take care of Nino just fine - they would take care of each other just fine, he believed. He just hope that there would be no blinding light again.  
“At least they are safe,” he said again, “and together.”

Sho nodded, “And we’re together, too.”

Ohno led his friends towards the queue. He walked faster this time, as if the light would stop coming if they reached the line.

But no, that’s not the case. Once they’re settled in the line, another blinding light came.

If Ohno hoped it wasn’t Nino the last time, now he hoped it was Nino. He couldn’t let Nino alone, even if it meant that he’s hoping for Nino’s-

“Masaki!” Jun called and Ohno’s heart fell to his feet. If he was so serene, now he felt panic.

He was there. Sho was there. Jun was there. Aiba was there. Nino was not.

Nino was on the other side. Alone.

“Are we-”

“Yes, we are,” Sho answered before Aiba could finish his question.

“Nino?” Jun asked and Ohno looked up to listen to the answer.

“He clung to me when I wanted to rescue Sho chan. He cried, he screamed, he forbid me. But I- God, I pushed him away,” Aiba looked regretful, “He was just trying to keep me safe.”

“Is he alright?” Sho asked.

By then, Ohno was incapable of anything. His mind was filled with Nino who was, at that exact moment, alone.

“I- don’t know. He’s a mess but he’s alright, I guess,” Aiba said.

Ohno felt the words were already on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn’t manage to spill it out.

Like Sho could read Ohno’s mind, he said it instead, “At least he’s safe.”

The words ended there, though. Because Nino was not together. He was _alone_.

Now Ohno hoped for another light.

Sho tugged them all back to the queue. They were quiet. Deep inside, every single one of them was thinking about Nino. But no one - _no one_ \- would be as worried as Ohno.

Ohno kept looking back, but no light was coming. When he noticed it, he was already almost at the end of the line, the gate was already a few steps away from him.

“He will be alright,” Sho whispered from behind him.

Ohno knew Sho’s intention was good, but he knew Nino better than anyone else, “No. He won’t. I could endure being left alone. You too. Aiba chan would barely make it but he’ll survive. But Nino? He won’t. Just like Jun. But Jun’s here, he’s not.”

Sho couldn’t give any answer to that because he knew Ohno was right. He squeezed Ohno’s arm instead.

Ohno faintly heard a man by the gate calling out numbers, but he couldn’t care less. There were not many people anymore in front of him and he still couldn’t accept the fact that Nino wasn’t there.

It was almost Ohno’s turn to cross the gate when, _finally_ , a light came. The four of them turned immediately and found Nino curled on the floor.

“Nino!” Ohno was the first one to run to Nino.

Nino’s body jolted a bit. He looked up and everyone could see his swollen eyes, “Oh chan!”

Ohno nodded. He dropped his body to the floor next to Nino and hugged the younger, “Yes, it’s me.”

“Oh chan!” Nino cried to Ohno’s neck, “You were- then explosion- then J, he’s- he’s- and Aiba-”  
Nino was hyperventilating. Nothing in his words was coherent but all of them could understand it just fine.

“It’s alright, it’s alright,” Sho rubbed Nino’s back, “It’s alright.”

Aiba bent down and ruffled Nino’s hair, “I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you.”

“You guys left me,” Nino sobbed, “I was alone. I don’t know what to do.”

Jun squatted and patted Nino, “We’re sorry,” he then stretched his arm, “But you’re here _too_ now. So, shall we?”

Ohno released Nino and Nino took Jun’s arm. It felt serene once again, to see all of them there, with him. _Together_.

“Next!” the man by the gate called out, “Ten thousand!”

It was Ohno’s turn.

Ohno smiled to the others and they smiled back. It was a silent _‘we’ll meet again there'_.

Ohno stepped forward to the man by the gate. The man had papers on his hands and he was checking at Ohno.  
It was really like in the airport, Ohno’s brain told him.

“Ohno Satoshi?” the man asked.

“Yes.”

“Born in 26th November 1980?”

“Yes.”

“Do you know where you’re going?”

“Ye- no, but I know what’s this.”

The man nodded. Then, he looked straight to Ohno, ignoring the documents, “Congratulations, you’re the 10000th crosser today. With that, you can come back to earth if you want to.”

Ohno looked up to the man, wondering if the man was serious.

“So?” the man asked. He was definitely serious.

Ohno turned to look at his band-mates. To Sho, to Aiba, to Jun, and to Nino. _His_ Nino.  
He looked back to the man and answered, “No. I don’t want it.”

“Are you sure? It’s a rare chance, you know.”

Ohno looked to the four men again. He smiled. He was sure of what he wanted. He nodded.

“At least, we’re together.”


End file.
